Late Western Zhou Dynasty/Mao Gong Ding
The Mao Gong Ding is an ancestral temple sacrificial vessel in China more than 2,800 years ago. There is a long inscription of 500 characters cast on its inner wall, which is the longest inscription among the more than 7,000 inscribed bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The content of the inscription can be divided into seven paragraphs. The general idea is that when King Zhou Xuan came to the throne, he was eager to revitalize the government, so he asked his uncle Mao Gong to manage the government affairs both inside and outside the country. Guards, protect the royal family, and finally give generous gifts, so Duke Mao casts a tripod to pass down the treasure to his descendants. It is inferred from the content that the Mao Gong Ding was cast in the first year of King Xuan of the Zhou Dynasty (827 BC). Its inscription is a true historical material of the Western Zhou Dynasty that can surpass [Shang Shu]. It is the most precious document for studying the history of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, the Mao Gong Ding can be called It is a world-class treasure.
The Mao Gong Ding was unearthed in Qishan County, Shaanxi Province around the 28th year of Daoguang's reign in the late Qing Dynasty (AD 1814). After the Mao Gong Tripod was unearthed, it changed hands many times and was kept secret. During the Anti-Japanese War, it was almost captured by the Japanese military. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the people donated the tripod to the public. It is now collected and displayed by our hospital. The inscriptions have Yangwen grid lines, which is a habit of making inscriptions in the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, in addition to the value of historical materials, Mao Gongding also plays an important role in Chinese ancient philology and calligraphy art.